Finding Love in Unlikely Circumstances
by Kitsune of Derision
Summary: Thirteen-year-old Ash Fox has spent most of his life trying to gain his father's love and acceptance. Naturally, he is displeased when his older, show off of a cousin comes to live with them. He expected Kristofferson's arrival to be a living nightmare- AND IT IS -but in ways that Ash would never consider! He is surprised to learn that things have changed. Kristofferson x Ash yaoi
1. Author's Note

**Hey guys, chapter one of the story accidentally got deleated when I was editing. I'll have to find a way to restore it.**


	2. There is No Such Thing as Good News

**Author's Note:**

**I would like to thank everyone that has reviewed. You guys truly made my day. **

**- Kitsune of Derision :)**

* * *

~*oOo*~

Chapter Two:

There is No Such Thing as Good News

~*oOo*~

Ash was most reluctant to get out of bed, too exhausted from the crying fit that had overcome him the night before. His skull felt like it might split open at any second, due to the excruciating migraine that had seized him upon waking. The first coherent thought that he perceived - once his eyelids flickered open, only to be rudely assaulted by the blinding sunlight coming from the direction of the hallway - was that he _seriously _did not want to go to school that day. That wasn't a new development though, seeing as how Ash hated the morning with a passion and believed that it was evil.

The teenager rolled over onto his side, emitting a loud moan in response to the agonizing shock waves that had chosen that precise second to flash through his head. It felt as though somebody had literally thrown a bunch of bricks at him. It had been quite some time since he had last experienced a headache as bad as this one.

A tirade of the foulest curse words imaginable threatened to spill from his lips, but Ash managed to bring them to an abrupt stop by clenching his teeth together. It was definitely way too early in the morning for him to start cussing. And to be frank, the poor fox barely had enough energy left in his body to move into a more comfortable position.

Scrunching his eyes shut, he decided to cherish the remaining time that he had left to lounge under the covers. It was only a matter of time until his mother would call him for breakfast, effectively rousing him from his sanctuary. Ash intended to get a little more sleep until then.

But clearly, this must not have been meant to be. His mother had to be a mind reader; for it was at that instant that she decided to bother the poor boy, who had been on the verge of falling back into a deep slumber. _Oh, how convenient_!

"**ASH**, **LET'S GET UP AND CRACK'IN**!"

The temptation to simply lay there in bed and ignore her was strong, but Ash knew from past experiences that the decision would only be a big mistake. There was a good chance that Felicity would enter the room with a pot of freezing water if he waited too long, and the teen knew better than to provoke the she-fox. His fur had already been drenched from head to toe once that week and Ash didn't fancy a recap of that incident, thank you very much!

It is with a displeased sigh that Ash proceeded to kick up his legs, dislodging the covers that were tangled around him. He shifted his head toward the source of the unwanted sunlight, which he had been so intent on avoiding, and his eyes narrowed in agitation at the sight of his bedroom door left wide open. Somebody had not heeded his request to leave it shut. Well, that just goes to show you how often his parents listened to a thing he had to say.

Ash scoffed at the irony of it all, inching his way off of the mattress until his feet brushed against the cold floor. His eyes went wide at the feel of it and, just as he did on a regular basis, he had to force himself to sluggishly walk the short distance that existed between his bed and the hallway.

Little did he know that his day was about to get worse…

~ (*oOo*) ~

"It's about time you got up," Felicity replied sweetly as soon as she caught sight of her teenaged son shuffling his way into the kitchen. She was standing in front of the stove as usual, preparing that mornings meal. Her attention was primarily focused on the pancakes that were cooking in the skillet, so the dirty look that Ash sent her way went completely unnoticed.

Her crystal blue eyes darted over to the spot where Ash was standing in the hall. It didn't surprise her to see that he was clad in nothing but a pair of spotted white underwear, the fact being that the boy had ceased to wear any kind of pajamas to bed when he turned seven.

"I'm sick," Ash stated aloud in a monotonous voice. He fixed his gaze on the ground instead of looking at his mother directly, fearing that she was going to pick up on his false charade.

"You're _not_ sick," Felicity said matter-of-factly. Of course she could tell that he was lying; it was too obvious because he had made sure to avoid looking her in the eyes first. This wasn't the first time that Ash had attempted to trick her into letting him stay home.

"I _have_ a temperature," the boy continued on as if he hadn't heard the comment.

Felicity settled her attention back on the pancakes, shaking her head in disagreement as she flipped them onto a plate. _Was he serious_? If Ash was going to be dishonest with her, then she wished that he would at least make more of an effort to be slightly convincing.

"You do _not_ have a temperature."

Ash could see that he was quickly losing the argument. His mother was notorious at seeing through his intentions, and if he didn't think up a better excuse fast, he would be forced to leave for school. And he wasn't in the mood to get harassed by Beaver that day!

"I don't _want_ to go."

He came flat-out with the truth, unable to think of anything else that could possibly help him. The ache in his head was too much for Ash to bear, and if it wasn't for that, he could have gone on with this game longer. However, the very prospect of talking to his mother more than he had to made him cringe in pain.

_'Is it just my imagination_, _or_ _does Mom like to see me suffer_?'

"Hurry up and get dressed," Felicity commanded impatiently. "Or you're going to be late."

Ash had no choice but to accept defeat.

Rolling his eyes, Ash stormed past his mother, muttering about how nobody in their house cared about what he wanted. As he walked back in the direction of his bedroom, the young fox paused to stare at his father, who was currently sitting at the table, reading the morning paper.

'_Most likely reading his stupid column,'_ Ash thought bitterly to himself.

Jack hadn't even tried to say good morning to him. '_What the hell_? Am I_ invisible or something_?!'

"Don't forget," Felicity called after him. "Your cousin Kristofferson is coming to stay with us in a couple of weeks. I want you to try your hardest to be _extra_ nice to him, Ash. The poor boy is going through a really hard time right now."

That was all that had to be said to get her son's attention.

Ash had been in the process of pulling on a pair of slacks, but the moment he heard his cousin's name pop up in the conversation, he froze dead in his tracks. His emerald eyes went as wide as saucers and his ears began to twitch violently at the very top of his head.

'_This so isn't happening_!'

The teenager scampered to his feet, nearly tripping over his own tail as he struggled to pull up his pants. He ignored the open fly on the slacks, and bounded right back into the kitchen to where his mother was standing a few feet away from his father. Felicity blinked at him with a confused expression, taking note of his sudden disheveled appearance.

"Why is _**HE**_ coming here?" Ash exclaimed frantically, clenching his fists tightly as he added an unnecessary emphasis to the one word. He hadn't recalled hearing his mother mention anything about Kristofferson coming to visit them, and he sure as hell didn't appreciate being left out in the dark until the very _last_ minute.

"Weren't you listening before, honey?" Felicity asked in astonishment, raising her left eye brow so much that it almost disappeared into her fur. "I told you last week, after all. My sister sent me a letter begging us to let Kristofferson stay here for a few months, until his father gets better."

"What is _**wrong**_ with Uncle David?" Ash grumbled, dramatically throwing his paws up in the air to demonstrate that he was getting frustrated. He realized a split second later that this had obviously been the wrong thing to do, judging from the affronted look that had crossed his mother's face.

"He has _double_ pneumonia!" Felicity snapped back through clenched teeth. "Honestly, Ashton! Your poor Uncle is seriously ill. Kristofferson is terrified that he may even die! He needs moral support right now. And as you are his cousin, I feel that _you_ should be the one to comfort him."

Ash stared at the she-fox blankly, his mouth falling wide open in shock. For a moment he was too flabbergasted to even think of anything to say back. He trembled slightly, trying to force himself to find the voice to stop this madness from occurring. There was no way that he could tolerate this!

If Kristofferson came here, Ash was certain that his life would become a living nightmare!

The teenager must have stood in that spot for a while. By the time he finally managed to recompose himself, his mother had already laid all of the plates on the table. She gestured for him to take a seat, and Ash unenthusiastically plopped down in the chair beside Jack.

"Can I at _least_ know where he is going to sleep?" He asked after a moment of awkward silence.

"We're going to make a bed for him in your room."

Her answer had been too predictable; Ash had thought the same thing right before his mother had opened her mouth to confirm it. He had wanted the chance to prove her wrong though. Well, he learned his lesson: Never give anyone the benefit of the doubt.

He growled in outrage, violently jabbing his plate of pancakes with one of his claws.

"I can't spare the space, Mom! Can't you put him in Dad's study?"

"Dad's study is occupied by _Dad_," Jack chimed in right on cue. He had been so busy reading through his column, "_Fox about Town with Mr. Fox_," that he had not heard a single bit of the conversion going on between his wife and son. It wasn't until Ash had muttered the words 'Dad's study' that he had become aware that they were discussing his nephew's arrival.

That was the final straw for the poor kid. Shaking in pure rage, Ash hurriedly leaped to his feet to push the chair aside. Screw breakfast! There was no possible way that he could eat anything right now when he was feeling this worked up. Everybody was on his case today!

And it was all stupid Kristofferson's fault! The guy hadn't even arrived yet, and he had still managed to thoroughly ruin the beginning of Ash's morning. Oh, Ash would be sure to make the dude comfortable, alright. He vowed right then and there that he was going to welcome his cousin with a direct punch to the face!

A sadistic little smirk formed on Ash's face at the thought of it.

~ (*oOo*) ~

As soon as Ash had stalked back into his room, Felicity laid her head down on the kitchen table and let out a long, distressed groan. Oh, what had she done in life that had been so horrible to earn her a cub that was so moody, and flipped out over every single thing? Couldn't her son have stayed sweet and well-mannered like her dearest nephew, Kristofferson?

"That child is going to be the death of me," she stated out loud so that her husband could hear her.

"It's just a phase the boy is going through," Jack replied, leaning his body over the table so that he could kiss his lovely Felicity on her right paw. "Believe me, darling. It shall eventually come to pass when his hormones finally stop acting all out of whack. "

"I know, honey." Felicity sighed, shaking her head dejectedly.

"Teenagers _are_ all crazy at his age," Jack can't help but add as an after thought.

He turned his head to stare down the hallway. There was no sound coming from his son's bedroom, but Jack assumed that the boy was finishing getting ready for school. Ash had only ten minutes left until he would have to leave the house. It was only a short walk to the middle school, but Ash always seemed to complain about it.

Humph! Yeah, as if walking was the worst thing in the whole world.

In Jack's opinion, Ash needed all of the exercise that he could get. Maybe, just maybe his son would get a little bit taller if he kept it up. He highly doubted the likelihood of such a thing occurring, considering that Ash had always been a runt. But hey! Anything was possible, right?

'_Why did Ash have to be so damn small anyway_?'

No sooner had breakfast ended when Mr. Fox had risen to his feet, kissed his dearest wife goodbye, and sauntered over to the front door with his jacket strewn over his shoulder. It was at that precise moment that a fully dressed Ash had decided to reappear in the living room.

Jack had briefly paused in the doorway with his paw securely wrapped around the doorknob, turning around to wish his son a good day at school. However, the sight that greeted him caught him of guard so much that the older fox had to shake his head to make sure that his eyes weren't playing tricks on him.

Ash stared impassively at his father while brushing his teeth.

He was wearing a long-sleeved, white buttoned down shirt that matched with the slacks that he had put on earlier. Sticking out of said shirt was a white cape that flowed past his back, making the teenager look like a small child that had dressed up like a super hero.

"What are you wearing?" Jack inquired curiously, cocking his head to the side. He raised his paw to point at the outfit that his son had on. "What is up with the cape, Ashton? And why did you tuck your pants inside your socks like that?"

Ash's eyes promptly narrowed into slits. He could feel his right ear beginning to twitch at the top of his head, and he roughly yanked the tooth-brush out of his mouth to snarl at his father.

He spit on the floor, turning around to leave the room yet again.

Jack blinked after him then turned to glance at Felicity, who appeared to be equally perplexed.

"I guess he's just… _different_." Jack replied with a shrug of his shoulders. He made quotation marks with his paws to demonstrate his point before walking out the front door.

He was oblivious to the frown that Felicity had sent his way.

~ (*oOo*) ~

Mr. Fox had made a very big decision earlier that morning.

Jack had just finished getting dressed when he heard the sound of the paperboy riding past their burrow on his bike. He smiled enthusiastically at the thought of reading the column that he had typed the previous night, despite the fact that only a few of the animals bothered to respond to it.

The daily newspaper, _The_ _Gazette_, was lying on top of the welcome mat as usual and he wasted no time in snatching it up in his paws before racing back into the kitchen.

As he made his way over to his chair at the table, Jack stopped in front of the stove to plant a soft kiss on his wife's head. He wasn't disappointed to see that, even though they had been married for nearly fourteen years now, Felicity still responded to his touch by flushing a bright red.

Chuckling in amusement at how cute she is, Jack slides down into his seat, eagerly flipping the paper open to the page that has his picture. The kitchen fell into silence, except for the sounds of Felicity selecting the materials for making pancakes and the crinkling of paper as her husband read through the articles.

"I don't want to live in a hole anymore," Jack had replied suddenly, resting the paper over the table as he shifted in his chair to glance over at his wife. "It makes _me_ feel poor."

Felicity made her way over to where he was sitting.

She can't help but giggle a little bit at the expression on Jack's face. He has his lips pouted out to their fullest extent and his paws clasped together as if in prayer. His emerald eyes were focused on her intensely, trying to wordlessly persuade her to agree with him.

"We are poor," She admitted in a soft-spoken voice. "But we're happy."

"Comme ci, comme ca." Jack muttered to himself. "But the point my love, is that I don't want to spend the remainder of how many years I have left, living in a hole. And you can guarantee that I am going to do something about that."

"Alright," Felicity murmured quietly. "Just remember, dear, that there is a reason that we foxes make our homes in holes. I want you to keep that in mind."

"But of course, my sweet." Jack was quick to reassure his wife. "Don't worry, I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

Felicity couldn't have thought of anything else to say on the matter, even if she had wanted to. As she turned to head back toward the stove, Jack encircled his arms around her waist, pulling her back so that she landed on his lap.

"Going somewhere, my darling?" He grinned at her with a devious, slightly crooked smile. Felicity couldn't prevent the blush that crept its way across her face, considering that she adored his seductive grin. It was the one thing that never failed to distract her. Her husband knew this too, and wasted no time in pressing Felicity against his chest in a very passionate kiss.

Jack had always been good about getting what he wanted.

~ (*oOo*) ~

It was later on in the afternoon that Jack went to look at a house. He had read an article in the paper that morning that was advertising tree living. And although he had never lived above ground before, Fox was interested in taking a look at the property.

He met up with Stan Weasel, the realtor, for a tour of the house.

"Obviously, this is first growth." Stan said as he walked around the living room, gesturing with his hands ever so often. Jack followed a few paces behind him, nodding his head to everything that the guy was saying to him. "Indigenous, original dirt floor, good bark, skipping stone hearth. As you can see -"

Weasel was abruptly interrupted in mid-sentence of his monologue by the sound of somebody handling tools in the kitchen. Jack watched as the realtor rolled his eyes before briskly walking off in the direction of the noise.

"What did I tell you, Kylie? I'm showing the property! You're not supposed to be here!"

"Oh, what time is it?" A possum popped up from under the sink, holding a wrench in his left paw. He took a second to gaze at his watch before resuming his attention on Stan. "Oh my goodness! I had no idea I arrived _that_ early! I'm soooooo sorry, Stan!"

Stan sighed out loud, shaking his head at the smaller mammal. He turned around to look at Jack, who was standing a few feet away from the two of them. "Mr. Fox, this is Kylie. He's the super -" He stopped in the middle of his sentence and lowered his voice to a whisper. "I just want you to know right now, he is a little off…"

'_Well, that's perfectly fine_,' Jack can't help but think to himself. '_I have a kid back at home that's_..."_different" as well._'

"What's in the bucket, Mr. Kylie?" He asked curiously, pointing with his index finger.

The possum stared off into space with a dazed expression on his face.

'_Okay then... I take it back. Ashton may be strange, but he's more normal than this guy_!'

"See what I mean?" Stan asked, frowning at his overseer. "**HEY KYLIE**!"

"They're just minnows," The possum replied, answering the question that he had shown no sign of hearing seconds before. He smiled in a polite way, holding the bucket out toward Jack, silently telling the fox that he was free to take one. "Would you care to try a minnow, Mr. Fox?"

"Sure, I don't see why not." Jack reached into the bucket as he spoke, taking out an extremely small fish.

"This isn't exactly an ever green." He said, spinning around the living room to give the place another look over. "Aren't there any pines on the market on this side of the river?"

"Well, pines are kind of hard to come by in _your _price range."

Jack wasn't completely sure if he wanted to buy the tree. He was fully prepared to turn down the offer and apologize to Mr. Weasel for wasting his time, but before he could open his mouth to say the words, something had caught his attention from across the yard.

"What's that?" He inquired, moving over in the direction of the windowsill.

In the distance he was able to distinctly make out the shape of three building. They appeared to be factories and were all located fairly close together. The names Boggis, Bunce and Bean hovered above each one by a group of pillars.

"May I ask what you do for a living, Mr. Fox?" Stan asked in a droning voice.

"I used to steal birds years ago." Jack responded back, his green eyes lingering on the factories. "But unfortunately, I had to give up on that due to personal matters. Now, I spend most of my free time writing a column for _The Gazette_."

"Oh sure," Stan muttered quietly back, his voice almost too low to hear. "I've seen your biolog."

Jack nodded his head absently, turning away from the window with a mischievous grin etched on his furry face. He had a change of heart; this house would do quite nicely.

"Gentlemen, it was a pleasure meeting with you." He gave the two animals his most sincere smile as he strolled over to the door. "Also, thank you for the minnow, Kylie. It was superb."

The two stared at the closed door for a second, and then Stan glanced over at the possum with a confused expression. "So... is _he _going to buy the tree?"

Kylie's only response was a shrug of his shoulders.

~ (*oOo*) ~

Back before the birth of his son, Mr. Fox had spent a great deal of his time sneaking on to the private property of the local farmers. He made a habit of doing this as a means to get free food. Seeing as Jack was a wild animal, it wasn't out of the ordinary for his neighbors to catch sight of him returning home at night with a dead chicken hanging by its neck in his mouth.

Jack became so skilled at his profession that he was able to trespass onto any given farm with ease, regardless of if it had a high-tech security system or not. The only thing that concerned him was the hounds. For some reason, many of the dogs on that side of the river were infected with rabies and if a person was to get bitten by one of them, the outcome could be very unpleasant.

There was the risk of death if the victim didn't get the bite treated as soon as possible. And the only treatment for rabies was to receive shots in the stomach for six months straight!

Needless to say, Jack had made sure to always be on the alert.

It had been a little over a decade since Fox had last stolen a single bird of any kind. He had been forced to give up the habit during the first stages of his wife's pregnancy. Felicity found the activity to be unbelievably reckless and had practically begged Jack to stop- not just for her sake, but for that of their unborn baby's as well.

She had been frightened of the thought of having to raise a fatherless child.

And as it turned out, Jack didn't have the heart to refuse his beloved. It wasn't as if her request was an unreasonable one, and although he reveled in the thrill that came with killing chicken, he could live without doing so.

Besides, finding another line of work would be easy as pie. There wasn't a single thing that Jack couldn't do for cuss sake.

He was the _"_Fantastic Mr. Fox."

~ (*oOo*) ~

Ash had left his room about two minutes after hearing the front door click shut, indicating that his father had long left the burrow to go to wherever the hell he planned on being. The teen honestly didn't care where he was going, as long as it meant that Jack was as far away from him as it could be physically possible. Jack had already annoyed him too much that day.

He exhaled louder than needed, swinging his book bag across his left shoulder as he stepped out into the hallway. The accursed thing was a cuss of a lot heavier than it typically was any given day, most likely from all the history homework that Mrs. Skunk had assigned the afternoon before.

'_That woman better be happy that I actually like this subject_,' Ash thought moodily to himself while walking past the bathroom door. '_Otherwise, I would not have stayed up well past midnight to finish that damn essay on the French Revolution. My head still hurts like fuck_...'

He was just about to head over to the front door, just as the sound of a chair scraping loudly over the floor caused him to nearly jump out of his fur. Ash let out a shrill yelp, his paws flying up to his chest to clench at the collar of his shirt. His heart fluttered wildly in his ribcage, pumping in overdrive in response to the sudden scare.

It took about half a second for the boy to calm down. Once he did, Ash could immediately feel his entire face begin to burn a bright red in embarrassment. He silently thanked whatever force that was in control of the universe, relieved that his father had not been present to witness that particular little scene. If Jack had, he would have never let his son live it down.

That didn't mean that his mother hadn't heard him though.

"Are you alright, Ashton?" Felicity asked, running out of the living room. She was carrying a slender paint brush in her right paw, and Ash rubbed at the back of his head sheepishly. It all made perfect sense now. His mother had moved the chair to set up her easel so that she could start painting.

"Oh yeah," He replied in a nonchalant tone of voice. "I just, you know, thought I saw a mouse run across the kitchen floor. Or something..."

He automatically wished that he could take back that sentence.

_'Dude_,_ are you serious_? _You just squeaked like a newborn cub_, _and that's the best excuse you can come up with?!__ A mouse startled you_?_ How pathetic can you get_?'

"Are you sure about that?" She tried to hold back the urge to smirk at her son, knowing that it would only offend him.

"Mom, I'm being real with you!" He whined like a small child, ears flattening down against his head in a dejected manner. "It was _only_ a mouse... "

Felicity giggled at the boy in amusement. Oh, if only Ash could see how adorable he looked at that moment! The expression that he was making reminded her somewhat of the one that his father had made to persuade her about the house a little while ago.

Perhaps it had something to do with those big green orbs?

Both he and Jack did have the same eyes, after all.

"I'm just teasing you, honey."

"Well, I best be off." Ash said, tugging on his bag's strap to hold it in place. "See ya later."

He was almost to the door when she called out to him.

"You know that your father loves you, right?"

The question was so abrupt that Ash jerked to an absolute stop, swirling around to meet his mother's expectant gaze with wide eyes. The thirteen-year-old mechanically nodded his head, gnawing at his lower lip nervously. '_Why is she asking me such a thing_?'

"Of c-course I k-know that, Mom." He stuttered backing up against the door as his paw began to desperately search around for that irksome knob. Somewhere in the back corridor of his mind, Ash knew that it was foolish to react like this, but he just couldn't bring himself to calm down.

"I- I'll s- see you after school, o- okay?"

As soon as his paw made contact with the handle, Ash twisted it to the side and flung the door open to make a run for it. His ears registered the sound of his mother yelling after him, but the young fox resolved to keep on running until he was a safe distance away from the burrow.

~ (*oOo*) ~

"Foxy, I would highly recommend that you do _**NOT **_buy this tree." Clive Badger replied as he read over his client's information. "You're borrowing at nine in a half with no fixed rate, and are moving into the most dangerous neighborhood for someone of your type of species."

"Aren't you over exaggerating just a bit?" Jack frowned slightly at his lawyer, pursing his lips.

"I'm sugar-coating it, man." The badger explained, "This is Boggis, Bunce and Bean that we are talking about here- three of the meanest, nastiest, ugliest farmers in the history of this valley."

"Really?" A wicked smirk was on Jack's face as he asked. "Tell me _all_ about them."

Badger glowered at his client for a moment, shaking his head in disbelief. He was certain that he had never met anyone that was as crazy as Jack Fox was. There was no questioning that the guy was insane; if he was normal he wouldn't be grinning up at him like that damn Cheshire Cat.

"Very well," Clive sighed unhappily. "Walt Boggis is a chicken farmer, probably the most successful in the entire world. He weighs about the same as an adult rhinoceros, around three hundred forty pounds, and the man eats three chickens every day for breakfast, lunch, supper and dessert- that's twelve in total _per_ day!

"Nate Bunce is a duck and goose farmer. He's approximately the size of a pot-bellied dwarf and his chin would be underwater in the shallow end of any swimming pool on the planet. His food is home-made donuts with smashed up goose livers injected into them.

Frank Bean is a turkey and apple farmer. He developed his own species of each. He survives off of a liquid diet of strong, alcoholic cider, which he makes from his apples. The guy is as skinny as a pencil, as quick as a whip, and possibly the scariest man currently living."

Jack listened attentively throughout his lawyer's speech, taking in as much information about the three human farmers as he could. He wanted to know what type of behavior he should expect out of them, so that he could use it to his advantage when the time came.

He was unaware that his grin was starting to freak out the poor lawyer.

"So that's it?" He asked, tilting his head to side. "Those humans don't sound all that scary to me."

"That's where you're wrong, Foxy. Believe me, those farmers are nothing but bad news. You need to grasp that if you seriously intend on buying that tree. I don't want to hear about any of your family members getting hurt due to impractical behavior -"

"It's not like I'm going to deliberately provoke them," Mr. Fox cut in, much to Clive's dismay. "I'm not stupid by any means, Clive. And I would _never_ do anything to endanger the lives of my wife and son. I would think that after years of dealing with me, you'd know that by now."

"I hear you loud and clear, man." The badger sighed, rubbing his temples. "I just want to make sure you know what you're doing -"

"I understand what you're saying and your input is valuable," Jack muttered aloud while staring at a painting on the opposite side of the room. "But I'm going to ignore your advice."

"The cuss you are." Clive hissed through his teeth, brown eyes flashing in anger.

"Oh, the _cuss_ am I?" Jack growled out as his lips pulled back in a snarl. "Are you cussing with me?"

"No, are you _cussing_ with me?" Clive demanded to know, pointing his index finger at the fox.

"Don't cuss and point at me!"

A small fight quickly broke out between the animals as a result. They circled around the desk in the middle of Clive's office, hissing and clawing at each other. The scene was completely out of place though, considering the fact that they were in an attorney of law building.

It was quite childish, really. Not the kind of behavior that one would come to expect out of two mature, adult males that had to be at least thirty-five years of age, if not older than that. They might as well have been grade school children, squabbling over who was going to sit by the prettiest girl in class.

One of Clive's business associates, Mrs. Beaver, had paused halfway through typing a document to stare at the two of them. This must not have been interesting to the woman though. After only a moment of observing the scene, she resumed drumming on the typewriter's buttons.

Hearing the sound of the typewriter was enough to bring the two men back to their senses.

"Just let me buy the tree," Jack said with an exasperated sigh, slumping back into his seat.

"If that is what you wish," Clive reluctantly groaned out.

'_Yeah_,_ there was no question about it. Jack Fox is an insane bastard_...'

~ (*oOo*) ~

Jack was in an exceptionally good mood when he returned home that night.

Ash was curled up at the end of the couch, nibbling on the tip of his pencil as he worked attentively on a paper for school. He raised his head at the sound of footsteps, and was surprised to see his father enter the living room with a huge grin on his face.

'_Hmmmmmm_... _it appears that at least one of us had a good day_.'

"Is there any particular reason why you are so cheery, Dad?" Ash asked out loud while skimming the contents of his science text book. He was nearly finished with the assignment, but was struggling to find the correct answer to the final question.

"Well, I have some good news that I have to tell you."

Ash's imagination automatically started to run in overdrive at those words. There was only a single thing that he could think of that could be so wonderful, so the teenager leaped to his feet with a gleefull shout.

"Yes! I knew that Uncle David was going to get better." He said with a genuine smile. "Does that mean that Kristofferson won't be coming to live with us?"

His father could only blink at him in stunned silence.

It had been almost five years since Ash had last made a real smile.

"Is there something wrong?"

"That isn't what I planned on telling you," Jack replied with a solemn expression. "Actually, what I was going to say is that we are moving."

And just as Mr. Fox had feared, Ash's smile vanished like a thinning mist, only to be replaced by his typical scowl.

'_There is no such thing as good news in life_,_ is there_?'

**To be continued**...

* * *

**Afterword: **

**I bet you guys are all thinking, "What the hell took her so long?" I'm terribly sorry that I made you wait. But you should know that I wasn't trying to torment you intentionally. As I posted on my profile page, I am indeed a slow typist. Therefore, it takes me a little longer to finish a chapter than most people.**

**You have no idea how relieved I am, now that this part is finished. I am anxious to begin working on chapter three. I absolutely adore Kristofferson, and I can't wait to have him being all 'clingy' and 'possessive' over poor Ash. That kid has no idea what horrors await him... *Laughs evily in Ash's direction***

**If anyone has any question involving the story, or would simply like to make suggestions, feel free to PM me. I promise to get back to you as soon as I possibly can.**

**Please, remember to** **R&R** **... it gets my muse working faster.**

**Thank you! :)**


	3. If They Knew How Misery Loved Me

**Author's Note:**

**Good news, I'm still alive everybody! I'm back with the third chapter that I promised, even though it has been like a month since I updated the story. I'm sorry about that! I got a serious case of writer's block that refused to go away, which is what kept me from adding more to the fic until now. It took forever for it to go away, but once it did my ideas came rushing back pretty quick. I have to say that I am particularly pleased with this chapter. It is my favorite one so far, and I love the little mood swings that poor Ash is constantly having. He is a cute character to write for, and I must admit that Kristofferson is pretty adorable as well. But once again, I apologize for the long gap between updates. I swear that writer's block can be such a bitch sometimes...**

**Well, enjoy the chapter! **

**- Kitsune of Derision :)**

* * *

~*oOo*~

Chapter Three:

If They Knew How Misery Loved Me

~*oOo*~

He had to wonder if there was something that he had done to earn him this punishment. There were days where he mentally tried to insist that it wasn't his fault, that there was no way that he could have possibly known that this would be the outcome of his cousin's visit. He had only made a single mistake, one little lapse in judgment, and it had brought forth a relentless string of unlikely circumstances in the process. He had never meant for any of it to happen, but despite his countless efforts to feign disinterest in the slightly older male, each attempt had failed miserably one by one until it had all ended up in vain. The bastard had seen through him as if he were nothing more than a transparent shard of glass, and it was because of this weakness that the events had taken a shift for the worst and the unthinkable had occurred.

Perhaps things may have turned out differently, if only he had been smart enough to recognize the signals that something was wrong. Whenever he stopped to think about it now, it became so painfully obvious that Kristofferson had flirted with him that he had to fight off the urge to scream out loud in frustration. Of course he had been flirting! He had made numerous advances on him! Even a person with half a fucking brain would've been able to spot it right then and there, but he hadn't caught on to it in time. If he had, he could have saved himself from the insanity of this situation. If only he hadn't shrugged off Kristofferson's weird behavior as if it were nothing at all.

Oh, what in the world had compelled him to act so stupid?

There was nothing that the thirteen-year-old could do to change the past, especially now that the damage had already been done. And even if there was a way to do so, he wasn't entirely certain that he could do it. If there was one thing that this experience had taught him about his cousin, it was that when Kristofferson wanted something he was bound to do everything in his power to get a hold of it. It didn't matter how difficult the task was, the teen was just too damn persistent for his own good.

It was actually pretty disturbing and it scared the living shit out of him...

He truly believed that the force that controlled the universe hated him. That was the only explanation that he was willing to accept as of now and he dared some fool to try telling him anything that was different. It was the only reason that honestly made any sense to him. Why else would he be subjected to this endless sexual harassment? He highly doubted that it was a mere coincidence. No, that couldn't be the reason. There was someone out there that hated his guts. But the real question that he wished to have answered was _who_? As much as he hated to admit it, it definitely wasn't Kristofferson that hated him. He was quite positive about that. Although that didn't stop him from wishing that his cousin could hate him, or at least like him less than he already claimed to.

'_That is_ _ridiculous,_' he thought sarcastically, rolling his eyes. _'Kristofferson couldn't hate me if his life depended on it_!'

The silver-furred fox went to such extremes to prove that he loved him. Not that he believed a single word that came out of the psycho's mouth, mind you. He thought that the dude had completely went off the deep end. There was no other logical way to describe his behavior over the past few weeks that he had lived with Ash and his parents. Or rather, perhaps Ash should say for the time that Kristofferson had been '_living with him_,_' _seeing as Kristofferson was around him more than anyone else. He had spent the first few days of his stay following his younger cousin around like a little lost puppy. It had really grated on Ash's nerves, but it was better than what the older boy liked to do to him at night in the privacy of their shared bedroom. (Felicity had suggested that Kristofferson sleep in the same room with him.)

One thing that annoyed him was the fact that Kris liked to cuddle. To some people this wasn't such a bad thing, but Ash wasn't like most people, as you may have noticed by now. He liked to sleep all by himself, seeing as he had done this for a good percentage of his life. The very idea of having to share his bed with another person was irksome, but it became sickening when it was a perverted fox that was so intent on touching him in intimate places. Until pretty recently, Ash's knowledge on all things sexual had been almost non-existent. Sure, he knew the physics of how to conceive a baby. You pair a man and a woman together, they decide to have sex and- if they so choose -a baby might be conceived. That had been the gist of it though. He hadn't been interested in knowing anything more than that. The topic of sex tended to make him feel nauseous and a little embarrassed.

However, nothing ever went according to plan in his life. Hadn't he learned that by now?

It wasn't until Kristofferson started '_dating_' him that Ash had learned so much more on the subject. As he soon realized, there were a lot of things that he was naïve about when it concerned physical pleasure. It had been truly amusing to Kristofferson, who had promptly burst out in a fit of hysterical laughter when the younger boy revealed that he didn't know anything about intercourse. In fact, he had nearly laughed himself to death, falling on to his back in the middle of the bedroom floor while Ash stared at him with a mortified expression on his blushing face.

Had it truly been that funny?

Ash hadn't thought so in the very least, and he had stood rooted to that spot in the center of the room, clenching his paws into fists at his sides as burning tears began to prick in the corners of his emerald eyes. Kristofferson had even smirked cheekily afterward, stating that Ash was far more sweet and innocent than he had expected. It was very '_cute'_ and it would make '_deflowering'_ him all the more wonderful! Hearing those words had sent Ash into a stunned silence. He had always thought that Kristofferson was better than that. But no, his cousin was making fun of him just like the bullies that tormented him every day at his fucking school! And Ash began to hate him even more for that!

There had been a part of him that yearned to strike the jerk directly in the jaw. Ash wanted to slap him repeatedly, yelling for him to shut the hell up and mind his own damn business. To stop treating him as if he were his property, or as if he were a mindless damsel in distress in some old fairy tale. You know, the stories that featured a simple-minded princess that would fall head over heels in love with some handsome prince that she didn't know a single thing about? It was all so unrealistic that it made Ash feel sick to his stomach. There was no such thing as a real happy ending in life. It was idiotic to believe that it was possible, especially in a forced relationship in which Kristofferson was the only one that benefited and Ash was left feeling confused, used and utterly filthy.

'_What_ _am I to Kristofferson anyway_?'

Ash wasn't some whore that enjoyed spending time in the company of other men. He didn't spread his legs wide open and beg Kristofferson to take him hard and fast in the back seat of some abandoned old car. It wasn't like he asked to have his erect member clasped tightly in his cousin's paw, pre-cum trickling out of the slit and dripping down on to the bedding as Kristofferson jerked it experimentally at different paces. He didn't like mewing like a newborn kitten, his hips unconsciously bucking forward against his better judgement. He absolutely despised the unbelievably heavenly feeling that he experienced upon being engulfed in the depths of the teen's deliciously hot mouth. And he hated it when Kristofferson murmured those wretched words "_I love you_" in that ridiculously attractive voice of his! No, he had never longed for any of those things to happen to him!

'_Dammit_! _Why am I_ _being punished in such a way_?!'

He hated everything about Kristofferson and wanted him to suffer for all the things that he had done to him. Never in his entire life had Ash ever wished for misfortune to fall on anyone, but now all that he wanted was for his cousin to burn in the never-ending white-hot flames of the deepest pit in hell. But most importantly, he wanted to satisfy the beautiful plans of revenge that continued to claw at his scattered sanity! He would make Kristofferson pay for this someday! That was a promise!

_**The things that Kristofferson did to him were all so wrong**,** sickening and an absolute abomination against the very laws of nature**. **Y**__**et at the same** **time, it always seemed to feel so fucking good!** **Why was that?** **And why is it that Ash always felt so alive, mewing his cousin's name like a prayer? **_

_**Even though he kept telling himself that he hated it...**_

Perhaps he was turning into a masochist?

~ (*oOo*) ~

Life is never fair. This was an age-old saying that had been repeated by both children and teenagers ever since the dawning of time. In many ways it was a lesson that was taught to people all over the world, who claimed to be the most miserable person in all of existence, even though they had never experienced the true meaning of suffering and didn't have the slightest inkling of what those horrors honestly meant.

The people who inhabited society were all the same. Each and every one of them were superficial bastards that pretended to care about the issues that corrupted the world, but were too selfish to even think about raising a single finger to help pitch in. The word '_hypocrite_' comes to mind in moments such as these, swirling around and around inside of his head like the planets that revolved around an axis in the eternal darkness of space. It buzzed around, rattling in his brain like an unfortunate little firefly that had fallen victim to the evil confines of a glass jar. And he couldn't help but think about it more with each passing second of the day.

It bothered him that said word applied to the two people that he loved more than anything on the entire earth. But he knows that he cannot deny the truth that was burning in front of his eyes. For it was correct that both of his parents were hypocrites, the worst possible thing that anyone could ever be. That was definitely a bad thing, but not nearly as bad as a brutal serial killer that sought to strike down everybody that crossed his path -

'_Wait just a minute! what the cuss am I rambling on about now_?_ That is beside the point that I was trying to make, dammit_!'

Ash glowered moodily, pursing his lips together in a firm line as he considered how unfair his life was. He was crouched on the window seat in the living room of his family's new home, staring forlornly through the crystal clear glass at the group of blue jays that were singing merrily, flapping their fragile wings as they fluttered back and forth between the branches of the oak tree he now resided in. It was a beautiful day outside and the sun was shining brightly, but despite that the young fox can't cast aside the feeling of annoyance that ate at his soul as he watched the cheerful scene.

The birds radiated happiness from deep within their very being, so much that it seemed as though it was almost tangible. It was as if all Ash had to do was reach out his paws to touch them, and all of his problems would just magically melt away into nothing. Sure, as if a simple wish was all it would take to fix his fucked up life.

'_Yeah_,_ sure it will_,' Ash thought sarcastically to himself, rolling his emerald optics. '_Then the unicorns will come prancing out of the forest, and we'll have a tea party. Everything will be just peachy. Oh, g__ive me a break! Please, do me a favor and grow up, will ya? Nothing good is going to occur today!_'

He wasn't in the mood to deal with anything now, let alone a bunch of twittering pests that had no idea how to shut the hell up. It was already bad enough that he would soon have to put up with an irritating house guest, and more so when that '_guest_' was going to live in his house for the next two months. Ash didn't have the slightest clue on how he was going to endure the visit, not after his mother had made him promise to be as nice to the boy as he could manage.

Today was the day that he had dreaded for the past two weeks. His cousin, Kristofferson Silverfox, would be arriving at the tree in at least twenty minutes or so, and the poor thirteen-year-old was feeling quite displeased about the arrangement. It was for that reason that the sullen teenager was sitting in front of the window, so that he could catch the first glimpse of the fox before he approached the tree. Maybe it was a little immature of him to think so, but Ash desired to hold on to those last few moments of peace for as long as he possibly could. In no time at all it would all be stolen out of his paws, just as it had happened with all of his favorite childhood toys.

Heaven forbid, he wasn't looking forward to that at all!

Letting out an overly dramatic sigh, Ash flung out his left arm to prop the side of his head against the palm of his paw. He closed his eyes as he laid on the cushioned part of the window, vaguely aware of the tantalizing scent of cinnamon and ginger that had begun to drift in the air from the direction of the kitchen. His mother was in there at that very moment making a huge batch of her beloved nephew's ginger snap cookies.

'_Oh_, _how thoughtful of Felicity_!'

Ash didn't even like that particular type of cookie. To be honest, the small fox was in love with oatmeal raisin, but it didn't really matter that much to him. The sweets were being made for his mother's dearest Kristofferson after all, and not for him. Why should he care about that?

He didn't care that everybody was going to pay more attention to Kristofferson than him, or at least Ash was trying to convince that to himself. Okay, so perhaps he did mind it a bit! Any person with common sense would worry, considering the fact that his cousin was always treated ten times better than he was. It's not as if he wasn't used to that going on by now.

It had always been like that for as long as Ash could remember.

This visit wasn't about to change a single thing, or so he thought...

~ (*oOo*) ~

Kristofferson Silverfox has harbored a secret crush on his younger cousin ever since he was a cub.

He wasn't sure when it had first happened, but if he had to make an educated guess, the teenager would say that it must have occurred around the time when he was only six-years-old. It was back in those days that he would spend each summer vacation visiting his relatives on the other side of the river. He always looked forward to seeing his family because he was an only child at home and had no one to play with, which was why Kris always felt so excited about hanging out with little Ash.

Upon his arrival to his relatives, Kristofferson was always greeted with a warm welcome. His aunt would race outside and swoop the giggling cub up in her arms, twirling him around playfully as she gave him a big hug. Felicity reminded him so much of his mother because she constantly smiled at him with a loving expression on her face, and she had a talent of giving good advice in times when he needed someone to listen to his ideas, or if there was something that was simply troubling him. Kristofferson also thought that the ginger snap cookies she made were absolutely to die for! Each time he ate one of them, it felt as though he had just passed on and went to Heaven.

Kristofferson liked Uncle Foxy, too, even though the guy was a little... '_different_.' He was reluctant to call Jack strange because he enjoyed his company and didn't wish to offend him, but despite that there were a few things that his uncle often did that confused him. Well for one, Jack had a problem with talking to himself and he sometimes voiced his opinions out loud where everybody could hear him. Also, did he mention that Foxy talked louder than necessary? Well he did, and his ramblings got so bad that Felicity would have to yell at him to shut up for cuss sake, before he drove her insane.

The older fox tended to respond to his wife's angry exclamation by sliding back in his favorite chair, folding his arms over his chest, and then pouting out his lips to their fullest extent as a pitiful whimper left his mouth. "You didn't have to yell like that," he would mutter quietly to himself. Ash would always laugh at this, especially when a look of horror would cross over his father's furry face when he realized that his own cub was making fun at him. That was just mean and entirely uncalled for!

Jack also liked to praise Kristofferson a lot, perhaps a little too much.

It wasn't that the cub was being ungrateful or that he disliked the attention that he got from the older male, it was just that he wished his uncle could bring the abundant compliments down to a minimum. It honestly got on his nerves after a while, considering that Foxy usually did this in front of little Ash, who would immediately look hurt after witnessing his father being so affectionate toward his older cousin.

And if there was one thing that Kristofferson hated to see, it was the sight of an emotionally distraught Ashton.

Even though Kristofferson tried his hardest to love each of his family members equally, he knew that it was going to be an impossibility as soon as he discovered that he had feelings for the younger cub. As you can imagine, this made him feel a little guilty because the six-year-old had always detested lying to anyone about anything. He was an exceptionally wise fox for his age, and he knew that revealing the infatuation that he felt for Ash would be a bad idea, perhaps even dangerous. Kristofferson could never risk telling anybody how he felt. If he was to even think about doing so, his chest would begin to hurt.

It was as if something inside of him was screaming, "_No, you idiot!_ _Don't_ _even think about it_!"

He loved his cousin more than anything, and it was because of that love that Kristofferson was willing to bury this secret deep within his heart. It was only for him to know, and he wouldn't hesitate to take it to his grave if need be. It wasn't as if the world would be engulfed in volcanic ash and flames if he kept something to himself. Ash could _never _know about his feelings! He would most certainly die of embarrassment if that was to ever happen. Kristofferson couldn't stomach the very thought of losing Ash's respect and love!

No, he couldn't let that happen.

It was seven years ago, on a crisp summer's day that Kristofferson fell in love for the first time. On that day he gazed into those radiant pools of emerald, and he felt his chest swell up with so much love that he was almost afraid that his heart would burst open in a macabre shower of crimson rain. As he reached out to envelop _his _dearest Ash in a loving embrace, the young cub had silently made a promise to himself and he prayed that the scenario would never come into play:

'_If the day shall come that my love is rejected, I will slit open my throat_!'

~ (*oOo*) ~

When Ash seriously stopped to think it over, he realized that he had made Kristofferson his rival without even thinking about it.

He had never meant to do it, but as the years had flown on by it had just happened. He knew that his reason for despising the silver-furred teen was because of all the times that his father had praised Kristofferson right in front of him. And he knew that it was irrational to react in such a way, but Ash couldn't bring himself to forgive his cousin. Even though Kris had never asked for Jack's attention, or even needed it for that matter. Hell, he had never even said a single mean thing to Ash his entire life! But never the less, it was easier for Ash to look at his cousin as if he were the enemy.

Believe it or not, there had once been a time when the two teens had been good friends. They were both fairly close in age, except that Kristofferson was slightly older than him by a single month. Therefore, it was perfectly understandable that the pair had spent so much time playing together as cubs. In fact, Ashton had adored his older cousin so much that he refused to play with any other baby animals. He only wanted to be in Kristofferson's presence because he loved him so much.

Ash had treated Kristofferson as if he was his older brother. In many ways it was true, mainly because his cousin devoted so much time to taking care of the smaller cub. And even though the six-year-old was fully capable of doing things on his own, Kristofferson still refused to let him do so. It wasn't unusual for him to make up excuses for why Ash shouldn't do something.

The most common ones were:

"That shelf is too high for you to reach by yourself! You're going to shatter that glass everywhere..."

"Let me tie your shoe laces for you! You have no idea how bad I'll feel if you fall and hurt yourself again..."

"Can I help you with that, Ash? Oh, please don't look at me like that! I just want to help..."

Kristofferson didn't mind helping his cousin out. On the contrary, he was more than happy to be of service. His parents, Margret and David, had brought their son up to be kind and considerate to others, and it was one of their many values that Kristofferson strived to uphold at all costs. He wanted to keep his mother and father proud of him, so he tried to act like a positive role model around the younger cub. On the surface the children's relationship was completely innocent. But Kristofferson was a sly boy for someone his age, and everybody around him believed the illusion that he was an angel.

He wasn't one by any means necessary.

When Felicity and Jack observed the way that Kristofferson played with their son, all they ever saw was a helpful young cub. Never in a million years would the couple have guessed that their nephew had romantic feelings for Ashton. They never caught on to his charade because he was too prudent. Kristofferson carefully thought out his actions when he and Ash were in the same room as the noisy adults. While in their presence, he would hold on to the cub's little paw and help him walk around. Ashton was smaller than him and dreadfully clumsy on his feet, which often caused him to fall face down in the dirt if he tried to move too quickly.

However, despite the fact that he loved his aunt and uncle, there were times that Kristofferson grew tired of their company.

As they were having their '_boring conversations_' about the mundane matters of life, such as the weather or Uncle Foxy's blog that he wrote, Kristofferson would grab Ash's paw and pull him away to spend some alone time together. He knew that listening to the adults made Ash extremely bored, on the account that his eyes would begin to droop as if he were sleepy. Kristofferson was smart though, and he knew how to regain his little lover's attention. He was well aware of the fact that his cousin dreamed of being an athlete.

For a child that hardly ever spoke, Ashton could spend hours prattling on about the sports he liked. He had no qualms against talking his cousin's ears off, and by the time he was done, Kristofferson often developed a major headache. Not that it really mattered, considering that Kristofferson never once complained about his cousin's never-ending chatter: He simply enjoyed having his love interest all to himself.

If he concentrated hard enough, he was usually able to tone out most of what the cub would say.

It was on one such occasion that Kristofferson realized that he was sick in the head. Or at least that was what he called it, for he couldn't understand the strange warm feeling that seemed to be building in his lower abdomen as he watched the younger cub's lips moving. There was something about those lips that he found enchanting, almost sinfully so, and when Ash's little pink tongue darted out to wet them, Kristofferson had to use every ounce of his self-control to keep from moaning in response to the alluring sight.

It wouldn't be until a few years later that he realized the '_strange feeling_' he experienced was arousal.

Luckily for him, Ash had been an oblivious child. He had never noticed any signs of Kristofferson's daily discomfort, or the pained expression of longing that would often cross over his face. And Kristofferson was thankful for that because he would have never been able to come up with a logical explanation for why he was blushing like mad. He knew that it was terribly wrong to think so, but when he sat beside Ash he couldn't help but wish that the day would come that he could claim those lips as his own.

They looked so soft and inviting...

Kristofferson had an endless amount of patience and he was capable of waiting until then.

~ (*oOo*) ~

"**WAKE UP**, **ASHTON!**"

The sound of a loud masculine voice was the first thing that the teenager registered upon waking. Ash jerked his body up into a sitting position near the windowsill and his green eyes flashed wide open in alarm as a terrified scream left his throat. He was still half asleep and unaware of his current surroundings, so it was really no surprise when he lost his footing on the window seat, which caused the poor fox to stumble and fall roughly on to the hardwood floor a few feet away from the spot where his father was standing, blinking down at him with a confused expression.

He uttered a pained cry as he landed on his back, tilting his head backward to evade the coffee table that nearly hit him in the face. That would've left an ugly bruise if he hadn't moved out of the way in time, and Ash didn't want any marks on his face that remotely resembled a black eye. It would have caused him unwanted attention at school, which Ash didn't want when he already had to deal with a handful of bullies that enjoyed teasing him about his body and apparent lack of whack-bat skills during gym class. He wasn't going to give Beaver the chance to point out yet another flaw. Not that it really mattered; he was certain that the other teen would do so regardless of how he looked...

"Are you okay, Ash?" The sound of Jack's voice was enough to snap the teen out of his daze. "I didn't mean to scare you. Your mother was wondering where you were because the house was too quiet, so I decided to come see what you were doing. Heh...I suppose that yelling was a bad way to wake you up. I would've done so in a different way, but I didn't want to peer over your shoulder and risk getting my face clawed at when you did get up..." His sentence trailed off in a nervous laugh as he crouched down on his knees to get a better look at Ash, who was now clenching at his chest as if he was having a panic attack.

He had every right to have one, considering the way that he had just been forced out of his slumber.

"Don't y-you e-ever do t-that!" Ash stuttered out, trying to raise his voice to show how annoyed he felt, but failing miserably in the attempt. "Why w-would y-you stand a f-few feet a-away from m-me and yell from across the r-room to g-get my a-attention?! Dad, don't e-ever d-do that again, o-okay? You a-almost s-scared me t-to death, darn it! Is that w-what you like to do in your s-spare time, Dad? Scaring the w-wits out of your unsuspecting s-son as I sleep? That is j-just mean and r-rude! What did I ever do to you to deserve that?"

Ash was most definitely in a bad mood now. Sure, he had fallen asleep without realizing it, but the point of taking that nap had been to relax until that '_vermin_' arrived. And now, Ash felt just as stressed out as he had when he woke up early that morning. Oh, speaking of which, where was Kristofferson anyway? Ash had thought that he would be here by now. Not that he wanted him to be there in the first place. He didn't even want to see his cousin, yet alone engage in polite conversation like his mother expected him to do.

"As I was saying before you freaked out," Jack resumed talking, shaking his head at his son as he did so, "I did not fancy getting my face clawed, which would have happened if I was too close to you when you jerked up like that. And yes, I know for a fact that you would react in that way. You used to do it all the time as a cub. I can't tell you how many times my cheek has been slashed open by those claws of yours. I swear those things should have a warning label on them. Seriously, they could be classified as a weapon, you know -"

"Okay, okay! I get what you're saying, Dad! Sheesh! You don't have to go on in detail about my "_killer claws_!"

'_Is he actually trying to cheer me up_?' Ash couldn't help but smirk at that, despite the fact that he was still furious at his father. '_Dad, I really do hate to rain on your parade_,_ but your attempts at humor today are as piss poor as ever_. _Thanks for trying_, _but I doubt that you'll ever get any better at telling jokes_. _The only reason_ _any of us ever laugh at you is because we don't want to hurt your feelings_. E_ven though you never hesitate to hurt mine_..._that's_ _quite unfair_, _actually_. _But when has_ _anything in my life ever been fair? Oh, that's right: Never._'

"You don't have to get your tail twisted in a knot," Jack replied in an almost inaudible sigh. He gazed at his son with big emerald eyes, obviously trying to make Ash feel guilty for losing his temper. "I was only trying to have a conversation with you, Ash. Can't a father take a moment to bond with his _only_ son? You are always so moody. You know, it really is a good thing that Kristofferson is coming to spend time with you. You need to hang out with people your age, instead of staying cooped up in the house all the time. I don't want you becoming anti-social -"

"**I AM NOT ANTI**-**SOCIAL**,** DAD!**" Ash promptly interrupted the elder fox with a hiss, his teeth clamping together in a snarl. His eyes narrowed into slits as he stared at his father with a murderous glare that could have frightened the devil himself. He could feel his heart rate accelerating with each breath that he took. "**I JUST DON'T LIKE TO DEAL WITH PEOPLE! THERE IS A MAJOR DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO, OKAY? WHY DO YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO ASSUME THINGS?!**"

Why did Jack insist on tormenting him? Was this all some kind of a game to him? Was that it? And if so, didn't he realize just how angry he was making him? Ash could see nothing but red now, red that was so dark that it resembled blood, and he was overcome by the sudden desire to smash something into pieces. He wanted to pound his fists on the floor and scream bloody murder, just like a cub that was having a bad temper tantrum over sweets. And most importantly, he wanted to yell at his parents and let them know just how much he couldn't stand them! They had done nothing but make his life a living hell for the past two weeks!

He was trembling dangerously as he stalked past his father, who was now staring at him with a mix of concern and astonishment. Well good! It was almost funny, but Ash knew that he could never laugh at Jack in his current state of mind. Maybe later, once he had managed to bring his heart rate back down to its normal speed. He headed back over to the window seat, even though he had previously fallen off of the damn thing. Growling low in his throat, Ash was just about to flop face down against the cushions, but he stopped in mid action when he noticed an unpleasant sight outside. '_Oh_, _you always have to show up at the worst possible time, don't you? Isn't that just wonderful?!_'

"You have got to be kidding me!"

"What is wrong now?' Jack was extra careful as he made his way over to the window, for fear that he would make his son angrier. "You know, all this yelling that you have been doing today cannot be good for your health-"

Ash swirled around so that his whole body was facing his father's direction. A stray strand of fur hung down over his left eye and the teen growled impatiently as he blew it out of the way. He tilted his head to the side as he frowned at Jack, trying to pretend that he hadn't heard his stupid question. One of these days he is going to strangle his father, that much he knows for sure. Couldn't his elder see that he was pissed off? If Jack did, he sure as hell didn't act like it.

"Kristofferson is here, Dad! Why else do you think that I would be yelling?!"

~ (*oOo*) ~

"Hmmm...I think this is the right address," Kristofferson muttered to himself. His cerulean eyes lingered on the large oak tree that was situated a few yards away from the open field that he was standing in, then darted back down to re-examine the letter that was tightly clasped in both of his paws. He quickly skimmed over the familiar, fancy handwriting that belonged to none other than his aunt, nodding his head in agreement as he went over the directions in his mind. Once the teen was certain that he hadn't made a mistake, he peered up from the paper with a confident smile on his face. "Yep, everything appears to be in order."

He paused for a moment to neatly fold the letter in half, sliding it back into his pant's pocket. It was very unlikely that he would need to look at it again, but Kristofferson figured that it would be a good idea to hold on to the paper for a while longer. He was reluctant to simply toss it aside until he was sure that he had made it to his destination. It was an old habit that he had picked up from his mother, and that knowledge had helped him out many times in the past. Therefore, he intended to stick to it. If Kristofferson was anything, it was definitely consistent.

The fox let out a small sigh as he swung his bag over his shoulder. He didn't know why, but all of a sudden a fluttering sensation had began to creep through his stomach. Well, that was very strange. It felt like the feeling that young children got when they were told to perform on stage for the very first time. It was almost as if several monarch butterflies had taken flight, and had decided to entertain themselves by spinning around inside of his body. Kristofferson cringed at that thought, a shiver running down his spine in response to the disturbing image that his mind had just conjured up.

Kristofferson was puzzled about why he felt so nervous about approaching the tree. It wasn't as if he didn't want to see his family, who were anxiously awaiting his arrival. Since when had he ever felt apprehensive about anything? He had never been the type of person to hesitate when he wanted something. So if that was the case, then why was his heart beating erratically inside of his chest? He swore that it was going a thousand miles a minute- faster than it normally did -and he was almost scared that it would spring out like a jack-in-the-box. Had the prospect of seeing Ash again turned him into such a marshmallow?

'_So what if I'm feeling a little nervous_?' Kristofferson questioned himself, unconsciously chewing on his lower lip. '_That doesn't mean that I'm a coward! And I am most certainly not afraid of interacting with Ash! It's not as if he is difficult to be around, even with these feelings that I have.'_

It had been four long years since he had last seen his cousin. In Kristofferson's opinion that was way too long of a gap in time, and he couldn't help but feel extremely annoyed by that fact. It pained him to think about how much he had missed in his absence. Ash had been nine-years-old the last time that he had visited him! What if he had changed drastically in four years time? Surly he would still adore him as much as he had in the past, right? He was just feeling a little paranoid. There was absolutely nothing for him to be worried about...

_'But what if I'm wrong_?' -**_*Gasp*_**- '_WHAT IF ASH HAS A GIRLFRIEND_?'

Kristofferson felt his entire body tense up in horror at the abrupt thought that entered his mind. His ears instantly shot up at the top of his head, both of the furry appendages twitching in pure fury. He had never considered the possibility of Ash being in a physical relationship with a person other than himself. A long, antagonistic growl rumbled in the back of his throat, and Kristofferson's cerulean optics darkened to a shade of azure blue as he began to unwillingly imagine the face of the rival he had never known existed. Would he have to compete with some stupid school girl for Ash's attention?! The attention that**_ HE _**had longed for since he was a cub?

Ash couldn't be paired up with just anyone! No, oh no! He was far too sweet, beautiful and innocent. The little fox needed a mate that he had chemistry with! Somebody that was kind and considerate, but at the same time could be cold and protective. He needed to have a partner that knew how to handle him. And there was nobody else in the world that knew how to handle Ash as well as Kristofferson did! He had waited for far too long for this opportunity to come, and he sure as hell refused to let some female take what rightfully belonged to him.

'_I_ _will never allow anyone to steal Ash away from me_!'

~ (*oOo*) ~

"Kristofferson, it is so good to see you!" Felicity giggled happily as she pulled her nephew into her firm embrace. She wrapped her arms around the teenager's shoulders, pulling him forward despite the fact that he was almost as tall as her husband. Kristofferson's icy blue eyes widened for a split second, but he immediately began to relax against his aunt's lean frame. He couldn't help but smile brightly in response to her warm welcome, twining his arm's around Felicity's narrow waist to return the hug with a proper one of his own. It had been a while since he had last been treated this kindly by anyone. It truly made him happy.

"It's great to see you too, Aunt Felicity!" He continued to smile at her for a few moments longer, allowing the older fox to get her fill on hugging him before he politely drew away to nod at her husband, who was standing a few feet away from Felicity with an amused grin on his face. Jack Fox was dressed to impress like always, wearing one of his many favorite brown suits and a matching tie. Kristofferson took this as a sign that his uncle hasn't changed a bit, even though many years had passed since the teen had last seen any of his relatives. It was actually comforting to know that some things stayed the same after the passage of so much time.

"How have you been, Uncle Foxy?"

"You have gotten so tall, young man!" Jack replied in a voice that is almost too loud to be considered an outside one. "The last time you visited us, I remember you only coming up to my waist. And now look at you, Kristofferson! You're nearly as tall as I am! You're parents must be so proud! You have grown to be a very handsome fox! I can imagine that you get a lot of female admirers that try to break down your front door-"

"I don't know about that," Kristofferson muttered under his breath with a self-conscious chuckle. The teen began to rub his paw over the nape of his neck, pretending to be sheepish in response to his uncle's words. However that wasn't the case. In reality all the young fox wanted to do was palm himself in the face for being stupid enough to believe that Foxy had changed in the slightest bit. He had just arrived at his relative's new house a few minutes ago, but Jack was already trying to drown him in a flood of unwanted compliments. Kristofferson desperately hoped that this wasn't going to go on for the entire visit. There was no way that he could take this much attention!

And Jack wasn't the one that he wanted to spend time with anyway!

There was a reason for why Kristofferson had wanted to visit his family on such a short notice. Part of it had been because his father, David Silverfox, was seriously sick at home, struggling to get over his double pneumonia. His mother had devoted her time to taking care of her husband, which left her very little time to take care of her son, even though Kristofferson was a teenager and fully capable of fending for himself for a while. It had been Kristofferson who had suggested coming to live with her sister, and Margret had agreed with him at once. She hadn't thought it was a smart idea to keep her son at home, mainly because she feared that he would become distraught over David's deteriorating health.

And while he had worried over his father, Kristofferson had also felt anxious to get away from his home. He had felt so helpless sitting beside his father's bed, simply watching as he become sicker and sicker with each passing day. In fact, he had been so terrified that he would lose his sanity. When he pleaded with his mother to let him travel across the river, he had been close to tears. He had assumed that she would tell him no, but he must have truly looked desperate when he asked. Well, at any rate she had approved of letting him go. Now all that he could do was pray, putting all of his trust in her ability to get his father back on his feet again. He was confident that she could do it.

Besides, he was interested in seeing Ashton again.

It may have been four years since Kristofferson had last seen his cousin, but that certainly didn't mean that his feelings had changed! His feelings were just as strong as they had been when he was a young cub. Wait, that wasn't entirely true! If anything, his love for Ash had increased tenfold in the time that he had been absent. It had shifted from a sweet, innocent childish crush and merged into something so much deeper than that. It was much more...'_intimate_?' Yes, that was definitely the right word to describe how Kristofferson had been feeling lately! He couldn't deny that his dreams consisted of nothing but Ash, or the fact that they varied greatly depending on how much he thought about the teen before falling asleep at night. Nine times out of ten his dreams were erotic; Kristofferson often woke up from those feeling unbearably lonely and with nothing but a raging hard-on to serve as a cruel reminder to his misery.

Kristofferson could still hear that inner voice- the annoying little one from his childhood -that continued to scream at him, ordering him to abandon his feelings because they were too dangerous to hold on to. He had learned to ignore it though, realizing that it was pointless to give up on Ash. Not when he had long accepted the fact that their relationship would be difficult, what with how stubborn the other fox could be. And as for the challenges that they were bound to face, he would happily take them upon his shoulders if it meant that he could be with the one that he loved.

He would never let Ash suffer in any kind of way.

When you love someone, you are determined to do whatever it takes to be with them. And that was exactly what Kristofferson planned on doing. He had just two months to spend with Ashton, and in that short amount of time he was going to draw the teen closer to him until Ash realized that he loved Kristofferson as much as he loved him. There was absolutely nothing that could get in his way. Kristofferson wouldn't allow anything to go wrong!

There was no way that his plan could backfire...

"Hey Ash, won't you come over here so that I can give you a hug?"

**To be continued**...

* * *

**Afterword:**

**I'm really curious about how well I did. This chapter was a lot of fun to write, and I especially love the scene where Kristofferson is freaking out over the possibility of Ash having a girlfriend. I tried to balance out Kristofferson's character by making him seem kind and sweet, but at the same time a little possessive and slightly psycho. I hope that it doesn't make him feel OC. After re-watching the movie, I realized that there is still so much about the fox that was left unknown. I know that Kristofferson was portrayed as a gentlemen and that he was always polite, but despite how sweet he acted, I believe that he had to have a dark side. After all, there is nobody in this world that is perfect. So clearly, Kristofferson must have some type of flaw in his personality.**

**In the next chapter, I will focus on Ash's relationship with Kristofferson. The goal is for the little fox to get creeped out by the never-ending attention that his cousin gives him, and for Kristofferson to alternate between being 'shy,' 'cute,' 'mischievous' and a little 'seductive.' Okay, maybe he will be_ extremely_ _seductive_! Awwww, poor Ash! It appears that you are going to have a lot of problems to deal with. Say goodbye to the way of life as you know it, _honey_, because I can guarantee that nothing is ever going to be the same after Kristofferson's arrival. (I _love_ to torment Ash, so expect a lot of it!)**

**Oh, and just in case anyone is wondering, the title of this chapter was taken from the song "_Dance_, _Dance_" by _Fall Out Boy_, who happens to be one of my favorite bands.**

**I will be looking forward to the reviews and positive imput. And once again, if anyone has any questions about the story, please PM me.**

**Until next time, I bid you all adieu!**

**-Kitsune-chan**


	4. Honesty Like a Back That Hides a Knife

**Author's Note:**

**Hello again, everyone! I felt really bad for keeping all of my reviewers waiting, so I thought that I might as well update the story now. But just so you know, this chapter is not finished yet by any means. You'll understand once you read it, because I'm sure you have noticed that I only write long chapters. And this one is relatively short, so I will be adding the rest in about another week or so. This is basically a small preview of what to expect in this chapter. It is going to be quite dramatic…**

**Also, Ashton does something that is**_** really**_** stupid! (What could that be, I wonder?)**

**Enjoy this "**_**preview" **_**and please review. ;)**

**- Kitsune-chan**

* * *

~ *oOo*~

Chapter Four:

Honesty like a Back That Hides a Knife

~ *oOo* ~

Ash was aware that he wasn't good at thinking decisions through. He had always been a_ spur_-_of_-_the_-_moment _type of person and it was perhaps one of his greatest flaws in character because there had been countless occasions where he had let his actions take over his better judgment, and that weakness had a tendency to come back to haunt him over and over again. That particular imperfection was yet another one of the many skills he needed to master, such as whack-bat, cooking and algebra (He hated the last one with every fiber of his being!).

And as he would later find out, that factor would soon return once more to teach him an important life lesson, which would leave him in a train wreck of emotion that he never knew he could experience. It_ really_ shouldn't have come as a surprise that all of this trouble would be due to the arrival of his older cousin, especially when most of his problems involved Kristofferson in some way or another.

If the boy was being truly honest with himself, he would say that he was in way over his head. The past few weeks of his life had been nothing but hectic as a result of his annoying parents, who had almost driven him insane with their never-ending babble about the perfect, incredibly selfless angel who just so happened to be named '_Kristofferson_.' It had taken every ounce of Ash's _very _limited self-control to refrain from losing his temper like he usually did, and the only reason that he had done so was because he feared the consequences that were bound to happen if he tried to complain about so much as a single thing.

He knew that infuriating Felicity would not be wise at all, not after promising his mother that he would be on his best behavior during the visit. According to said promise, Ash wasn't allowed to do anything that might upset Kristofferson. This included tactics such as name-calling, hitting, teasing, mocking, back talking, cursing, spitting, clawing, and the biggest one of all: asking questions that involved the stressful events back at home, all of which revolved around a sickly, bedridden David. There was only one time that the man's name could enter a conversation, which was if Kristofferson chose to mention his father, and even then Ash was told to address the topic with the uttermost sensitivity.

After all, it was his job to make his cousin feel happy and loved at _whatever_ means necessary.

Indeed, the repercussions would be dire if he failed. His mother had stated that if he hurt Kristofferson in any way, she would have no choice but to confiscate at least seven issues of his favorite comic books series, "_The Adventures of White Cape_." Now that might not sound like such a terrible option, as opposed to the other punishments that a parent could inflict upon their child. Well, that wasn't the case this time! The fate that awaited his precious _White Cape_ collection would be a hundred thousand times worse than any method of grounding imaginable! If he had been given the option to choose his own punishment, Ash would have gladly suggested sewing his head to the carpet in his father's study, or visiting the family doctor to get a series of excruciating shots for rabies. He even thought that getting punched in the stomach by Beaver would be much more enjoyable!

So what is the punishment for screwing up? Well, let's just say that it would deal with charred paper and seething flames over a certain fire place in the living room.

Yeah… so needless to say, he was going to do everything in his power to **not **mess anything up.

Ash had been a little nervous because he didn't know what to expect out of Kristofferson when he showed up on that bright, beautiful afternoon in the beginning of spring. He had instantly felt overcome by a strong sense of apprehension the moment that his cousin had sauntered up to the front door of the house, lips turning up at the corners as he approached Felicity, who had been so eager to give her nephew a hug that she rushed past Ash, nearly knocking the smaller boy over in the process. If the woman had heard the startled yelp that her son had made, she chose not to acknowledge it by focusing her attention on the older teenager, who immediately let out a soft gasp of surprise when he found himself encircled by his giddy aunt.

"Kristofferson, it is so good to see you!" Felicity giggled happily as she pulled the boy into her firm embrace, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as she pulled him closer despite the fact that the teenager nearly towered over her, almost matching her husband's height. She was unaware of the foul glare that Ash gave her when he sat on the ground several feet away, leaning his back against the bark of the tree as he reluctantly watched the heartwarming scene that was playing out in front of him. He was so caught up in his anger that he didn't even attempt to hide the expression of distain that instantly formed on his face the exact second that his eyes lingered on Kristofferson.

Even though Ash was agitated, he was still observant enough to notice the look of shock that flickered over the older male's face when his aunt hugged him. The teenager's bright, shiny cerulean eyes widened and he tensed up slightly as the middle-aged woman gave him a tight squeeze, but all signs of his discomfort vanished just as quickly as they had come and a soft sigh escaped from Kristofferson's lips as he relaxed, twining his arms around Felicity's narrow waist to return the fond embrace that she had enthusiastically gave him.

Ash couldn't help but think that it was strange, as his cousin had never reacted like that in the past when she touched him…

"It's great to see you, too, Aunt Felicity!" He smiled at her for at least a minute longer before shifting, clearly trying to escape from his aunt's painfully tight grip while still acting in the gentlemanly manner that he was accustomed to. Apparently he didn't want to offend the she-fox, so he held as still as he could bring himself to until she was finished welcoming him. The woman released the boy after what seemed like an eternity, prompting Kristofferson to let out the huff of breath that he had unknowingly been holding up until that point.

One glance at his father was enough to tell Ash that the man was just as excited about greeting Kristofferson. An exceptionally wide grin had crept its way over Jack's face when the thirteen-year-old nodded in his direction, and it grew so large that Ash almost feared that his dad's face would split into two even halves if it was to get any bigger than that. The elder fox walked over to the younger one, clapping him on the back as a sign of affection, which caused Kristofferson to almost lose his balance in response to the unintentionally rough slap that assaulted his shoulder-blade, and he had to grind his teeth together so that he wouldn't make any pained sounds.

'_That's what you get for being such a show off_!' Ash thought to himself as he fought the urge to laugh out loud. He covered his mouth with both of his paws, burying his face against his bent knees while he trembled from the force of his laughter. Oh, if there was anything that he enjoyed more than reading his comics, it had to be the sight of his cousin in the slightest amount of discomfort. He couldn't remember the last time that he had ever laughed this much over anything, but he had a distinct feeling that it hadn't been for many years. Normally there wasn't a reason for him to do so, on the account that there were only a few things in life that he found humor in. '_I wish I had a video recorder_... _his expression is priceless_!'

It almost surprised Ash that no one had noticed his amusement. Then again, perhaps that was a good thing because Felicity would no doubt be pissed off if she caught sight of him laughing at his cousin like this. And he sure as hell wasn't about to lose any of his comics today, nor any other day for that matter. If his mother so much as lifted one of the books over the seething fire, he would scream bloody murder like a little boy that had just gotten his favorite fire truck snatched out of his hand.

And that would not be pretty at all because Ash could scream really, REALLY loud!

"How have you been, Uncle Foxy?"

Ash wasn't sure why, but all of a sudden he couldn't focus on thinking about his comics. His ears had registered the sound of a velvety, smooth voice and he couldn't help but jerk his head to the side, emerald-green eyes flashing momentarily in excitement in response to the unexpectedly pleasant distraction. But there is an old saying about curiosity, which was proven true for the boy as the pleased smile on his face quickly morphed into a look of pure horror as the thirteen-year-old realized that the source of the noise was coming from none other than his older cousin. Kristofferson was still standing beside his uncle, who had began to animatedly compliment him about one thing or another. In his state of mortification Ash was so taken aback that he completely blocked out what his father was saying, except for the words '_female admirers_' and '_break down your front door.'_

"I don't know about that," Kristofferson muttered under his breath with a self-conscious smile. He chuckled nervously, rubbing his paw over the nape of his neck in what appeared to be a modest manner. But if the two adults had been paying closer attention to the boy, they would have noticed the way that their nephew rolled his eyes. His silver fur bristled notably, rising up in a way that mirrored that of a livid wolf when his uncle brought up the subject of his many admirers. "There are a few girls at school that seem to like me, but none of them appeal to me, honestly. I have a certain _type _that I go for –"

Kristofferson trailed off in a way that could only be described as suggestive. His cerulean eyes seemed to gleam in a mischievously way when the sunlight hit them, earning an involuntary shudder from the younger fox that was still sitting near the front door, watching in complete and utter disgust as his parents laughed at the older teenager's comment. There had obviously been a double meaning in his statement, but Ash was too mentally disturbed to even think about deciphering it. He was actually trying to keep his expression impassive, but on the inside he was freaking out over the way that he had previously reacted to hearing his cousin's alluring voice, so it was unnecessary to say that he was feeling severely discombobulated.

'_Wait a second_…_did I just think_ '_Kristofferson_' and '_alluring_' in_ the same train of thought_?!'

It most certainly didn't make the situation any better for the confused boy when the cause of his distress pranced over to the spot where he had been crouching for the past several minutes. Kristofferson nimbly took a seat in front of his smaller cousin and he was just about to utter a low, unbelievably sexy "_Hey_, _how have you been_, _honey_?" However, he didn't get the chance to use the anxiously anticipated pickup line because he noticed that the boy wasn't even looking at him to begin with. Ash appeared to be in a daze of some sort, and by the way that he was breathing in quick, panicked gasps, it was apparent that something had scared him to the point that it looked as if he was going to pass out.

"Ashton?" Kristofferson murmured the shorter male's first name with a questioning tone, tilting his head to the side in a quizzical fashion as he raised his paws to gently place his palms against both sides of his cousin's cheeks. His effort was rewarded a split-second later when Ash released a sharp exhale of breath, jerking his head forward to unwillingly meet the familiar pair of cobalt orbs that locked onto his own with a profound fixation, almost as if their owner was truly seeing him for the very first time. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Yeah… y- yeah, I- I'm fine..." Ashton responded to the inquiry in a soft voice that was highly unusual for him. "Is t- there a r- reason why I – I shouldn't b-b- be?"

A spike of what he assumed to be revulsion surged in his stomach as he cringed over the way that he had stuttered over those two simple sentences. It had to be the most pathetic thing that he had ever done in his whole life, and it only got worse when he realized that his face was flushed, burning a bright shade of red directly in the place that the teenager had touched. He wasn't in the proper state of mind to make sense of everything, but he could tell that something was terribly wrong with this picture and it needed to stop.

'P_lease_, _please just stop_…'

"Are you blushing?" There was an unmistakable undercurrent of amusement in his husky voice. It was evident that Kristofferson liked the flustered appearance that Ashton had going because he drew his teeth together in a smirk, and one that most people would have deemed seductive at that! There was also something '_predatory' _about his eyes as they took note of the exposed layer of fur on his cousin's slender neck, which was visible due to the low collar of the white V-neck tee-shirt that the boy was wearing.

"I most certainly am not!"

Ash knew that sticking your tongue out was viewed as a sign of immaturity, but that didn't stop him from doing it to the slightly older male in front of him. It almost disappointed him when Kristofferson didn't look the least bit offended by the action. The silver-furred fox merely returned it with a wicked smirk of his own, eliciting a particularly loud, humming sound that reverberated from the back of his throat. The noise obviously confused the younger boy because he quirked his head to the side, furrowing his eyebrows in a adorable way. Although the noise was far too deep to be classified as a purr, it was remarkably similar because it indicated that the teenager was pleased about something.

'_There is something strange going on around here…'_

Unfortunately, there wouldn't be any time for Ash to draw a conclusion about his cousin's weird behavior. It was at that moment that Kristofferson realized that his aunt and uncle had been watching them that entire time, and even though the couple were quite a few feet away from the boys and hadn't caught a word of their conversation except for their son's exclamation a second prior, he still tensed up in discomfort at the thought that he had been flirting with the younger male so openly. He had to make sure that everybody remained oblivious to his true intentions, otherwise there wouldn't be any time for him to figure out a way to_ 'break the ice' _with Ash.

"I MISSED YOU SOOOO MUCH, ASHTON!"

Ash had not been given a warning of any kind. Letting out an unnaturally high-pitched cry, his jade oculars widened for the second time that day as he suddenly found himself being lifted up into the strong arms of his rival. Kristofferson clung on tightly to the petite fox's body as if he were nothing more than a fragile, antique doll that was made out of porcelain and could shatter in the event that it fell from a great height. This had to be how his cousin viewed him because Kristofferson looped one of his arms around Ash's thin waist to support his back, effectively illustrating that point as he rested his right paw an inch or two above the nape of his partner's neck. This only prompted the red-furred fox to stiffen in his prison, slumping against the older teenager's chest so that he could wait out the wretched hug fest.

"It's nice to see you again, too." Ash replied back, making sure that his voice was loud enough for both of his parents to hear. He figured that as long as he was being held like this, he might as well do his damnedest to play the part of a kind, loving cousin. There was no harm in masquerading in the guise of something that he wasn't, not as long as he did it effectively so that Kristofferson wouldn't pick up on the façade. After all, he was pretty sure that an insignificant little white lie had never done any _real_ harm to anyone.

What was the worst thing that could possibly happen?

With that plan safely tucked away in the back corridor of his mind, Ash slowly leaned his body closer to the other male's chest until he was close enough to nuzzle his face against the center of Kristofferson's throat. He pressed his lips over the silky layer of silver fur, opening his mouth as wide as he could and flicking his wet tongue through it in a way that was meant to be taken as an innocent display of affection. As a small cub he had done this numerous times to his cousin to show that he loved him, but until now it had never been used for any other purpose besides grooming or giving a series of playful, chaste kisses to his cheek. It was that simple fact that prevented Ash from seeing a logical reason for why he shouldn't do it now.

Oh man! Never had Ash been so wrong about anything in his entire life...

"Ah-! Ash, what are you –" A soft groan escaped from Kristofferson's parted lips. "Listen, I really don't think you should be doing that..."

"Don't you love _me_ at all, Kristofferson? " Ash purred sweetly into the side of the older boy's neck, being far too naïve to realize that his actions were giving his cousin the impression that he desired to feel pleasure, instead of the innocent childish love from the past. He let out a pitiful whimper as if his heart was being ripped out of his chest, unknowingly causing Kristofferson to scrunch his face in a pained expression. "I have never stopped loving _you._ Please, won't you say that you _love_ me back?"

Kristofferson could only hug the little fox tighter, his blue eyes trembling with unshed tears. He made that same rumbling sound in the back of his throat again as he rubbed a sequence of soothing circles across Ash's back, trying to convince the boy that he did indeed love him, but without drawing weird attention from the adults, who assumed that the two of them were simply bonding. There was only one thing in the entire world that could ever break his heart, and that was the sight of seeing his Ashton in any form of pain. It didn't matter if it was physical, mental or emotional because he would do everything in his power to make it go away.

"But I _do _love you," He replied insistently, emitting a low growl that sounded _almost_ possessive. If Ash had chosen that precise moment to peer up at Kristofferson, he would have perceived that something was wrong with the other male's eyes, which had darkened in color as a result of his conflicted emotions. Even though Ashton still acted like a rambunctious little kid, the boy was still fairly innocent because he only had basic knowledge about sex- a word that Ash couldn't even say out loud without feeling as if he would throw up- and he wouldn't have understood that Kristofferson was trying to starve off his feelings of arousal so that he wouldn't do something drastic that he would later regret.

It wouldn't be a smart decision to give in to his desire at that moment when there were two witnesses, who would certainly be appalled if he started french kissing their son. And despite how erotic that idea sounded, Kristofferson knew that self-control would have to be his main priority for a while. He grit his teeth together as he ceased hugging Ash, releasing the unspeakably cute boy, who responded to the loss of physical contact by making a long, whining sound of disapproval that could have broken the very toughest of hearts.

Oh, how that sound hurt the vulpine in ways incomprehensible!

~(*OoO*)~

Kristofferson didn't like seeing his beloved cousin upset. Ever since he was a young cub, the platinum colored fox had always experienced a particularly strong jolt of guilt and self-loathing whenever he noticed the smaller boy in a state of prolonged melancholy or intense anger, which was immediately followed by a peculiar niggling sensation that would gnaw at his gut. He had realized fairly quickly that there was only one way to get rid of this uncomfortable feeling, and that was by doing something really nice for Ash.

It was in his nature to be benevolent, compassionate and loving. That was one of the many character traits that Kristofferson was known for displaying, especially during his early childhood when he had spent a majority of his summer vacation chasing after the adorable, yet hyperactive little furball that was Ashton Fox, who had developed a fondness for causing trouble around the burrow, much to the dismay of an extremely peeved Jack and a slightly amused Felicity - the vixen began to view her son's antics as annoying though, upon entering her previously spotless kitchen and catching sight of a powder covered Ashton (The four-year-old had spun around the room in circles, pouring sugar everywhere, assuming that it was snow).

There would be no denying that Ashton was his biggest weakness. Kristofferson was aware of the truth, having realized it seven years ago when he first fell in love with the smaller boy. And he wasn't ashamed to admit that he thought the younger male was beautiful, even though he knew deep down in his heart that it was wrong to think about his cousin in that way.


End file.
